THE BEGINNING OF RODEO

My first fanfic! Hope you all like it, it stars the wolf-dog that I made up, Rodeo, a very stubborn yet heroic animal that inspired my screen name. Go ahead and read it! It is the beginning before the first Rodeo In Nome book.

This is rated PG for a not too descriptive birth scene and just slightly mild language

Balto, Jenna, Kodi, Aniu, Rosy, Steele, and Boris are property of Universal Studios.

Just don't take the characters I made, they are mine, so... no stealie! :)

Chapter 1: Lost In The Snow

A small wolflike shape was moving slowly through the wind, his paws dragging though the thick snow. He never felt so lost as he did now. For once, he regretted leaving home. In his ears repeated the words he had heard his mom say before he left. "Rodeo, Sonyai's... disappearance isn't your fault. You know that. Rodeo, we just want what's best for you, that's why we moved... Rodeo! Come back!"

Rodeo remembered running into the frosty air, panting, anger rushing through him. He remembered how furious he really had been. He was more angry at himself than at his mother. The day before he ran off he had led his sister Sonyai across the ice in a game of Follow-The-Leader, and then playfully pushed her across the ice. The ice had cracked around her, and she had fallen into the deep, ice-cold water. The water was under zero degrees, and though Rodeo tried all he could to save her, her heart had stopped and she had slid to the bottom of the sea, gone. Gone... the word made Rodeo cringe. And it was all his fault.

Rodeo stopped and sat down in the snow. Part of him yelled just to be back on the warm carpet in front of the fire at his mother's. The other side said that this was what he had gotten himself into, and this was what was meant for him, to be as far away from his family.

Torn and exhausted, he felt anything but happy. The wolf spirit inside of him told him to go on, but he was way too tired. He thought he saw the slight glimmer of city lamps, but then they were gone again, into the endless white snowfall. He collapsed into the snow, laying down against the cold white ground. He felt lost again in this empty, desolate world. But a noise made his ears prick up, and he no longer felt alone. He could not indentify it at first, but then he understood.

Aohrrooooo.... Aharoooooo...

Rodeo did not completely know or trust his wolf heritage, but something about this howl made his spirit rise, as well as his body. He looked into the snowdrifts, and he saw two black dashes and a round, nose shaped black circle. Then he truly saw the wolf in front of him. It was Aniu, the White Wolf, mother of Balto. Before Rodeo had time to react, the wolf was gone. Rodeo set down his paw, and lifted it to check it's size, then he began to hurry toward the glittering light of the city lamps. Though through the wind, his pace was barely a trot. After a long while of fighting the wind, Rodeo came into clear sight of the lamps, but with his exhaustion, he flopped down and fell asleep. Before he was totally asleep, he heard the sound of a husky's barking...

Chapter 2: The City Of Nome

Balto was doing his daily run down the beach, and he hoped to find Boris, the fatherly Russian goose on the beach. When he had gotten up that morning, he couldn't find Boris on the grounded ship he called home. Balto ran, but he could feel his speed weakening. He was getting rather old now, but he still was slightly fast. When he couldn't find Boris, he got to Jenna's in still-record time. When he didn't find Jenna there either, he headed down to the small town of Nome, where the two-lane roads met at the center, called Nome Central. He found that down the narrow roads, nobody was there. Still confused, Balto headed to the Central. He saw many people and dogs gathering up. Was there a race? If so, Balto hadn't heard about it.

Balto curiously tipped his head, and moved into the crowd. He looked around, finding no sleds. Looking farther down the roads, he asked the dog beside him, "Kodi, my son, what is happening? There's no race, for sure..."

Kodi laughed. "Dad. I thought you knew all the news of the village. Pretty sudden, though. Jenna has-"

Balto gasped. "What happened?"

Kodi shook his head. "Let me finish. Jenna and Rosy have found another wolf-dog either sick or asleep on the outskirts of the city. We're waiting here to see what's become of him."

Balto's hair stood on end for a quick second, remembering his other enemy besides Steele. The dog was a mix just like him, but he would never fall asleep on the outskirts of town. Finally his hair flattened as he saw Rosy and Jenna, Jenna pulling Rosy's sled, with a cargo of a scruffy, damp body of a yearling wolf-dog. The wolf looked exactly like a mini Balto except for a slight different tint to his fur. Rosy walked beside the sled, her hand on Jenna's back. "Good girl. You found something more interesting than a twig for once." Rosy giggled nervously. "But is he alive?" she said, turning to look at her father.

Her father set his hand on the still body. "We'll see."

                                          //-------------------------\\

Rodeo woke to curious voices, then an excited voice, followed by a gleeful bark. Rodeo didn't remember anything but a huge white blanket of swirling snow. Rodeo knew there had been a blizzard, but he didn't know how he got here. He opened his eyes, rocked to his feet, and gave a warningly vicious snarl. His fur bristled, and he settled his skull in between his shoulder blades, warning the people around him with bared teeth.

A burgundy husky blocked his run for the door. She gave him a I'm-not-very-proud-with-you look, that mostly only mothers used, but she did have a point in the way she looked at him. Why was he trying to escape if he had finally came to someplace he could call home? Finally he sat down with his head lowered in apology.

The men scratched their heads in confusion. Rosy's father said, "Yep. This one's no good. I'm beginning to wonder why Jenna dared approach such an animal." Rosy shook her head. "He was asleep. I'm sure of it! He was motionless, breathing very slowly..." Rosy's father considered this. "Well, since it's Christmas, he may stay. But he must keep away from all the villagers." Rosy smiled. "Balto can teach him about us! Just let them talk to each other, and Balto can give him a tour!"

Her father scrunched up his nose. "Ok. I'm not sure it will work though."

Chapter 3: Talk of the Town

By now, rumors were flying, and the new arrival was the talk of the town. Balto had been watching from beneath the floorboards as Rodeo had woken up, and his attitude kind of reminded him of himself whe he was a lor younger, a pup. Balto waited at the beach, knowing the new dog would find him eventually.

Boris was back now, panting. "Oy. I've been running all over for you."

When Balto did not respond, Boris asked, "What be the matter?"

Balto watched down the beach, waiting patiently. "I'm just thinking... the new dog... could he have followed my mother?"

Boris said with a slightly mysterious voice, "Or... could your mother have followed him?"

That next moment, a howl echoed through Nome, ghostly... and it sounded just like Aniu's. But Balto only lowered his ears. Boris tilted his head at a shape running toward them. "Say, is that the new dog?"

Balto lifted his head to watch a wolflike shape that solely resembled Balto and Aleu trot toward them. Balto asked the smaller version of him, "Why do you come here?" although he pretty much already knew.

Rodeo wagged his tail and lowered his body a little, in a guesture that basically meant no harm. Balto smiled. "Well?" he asked. Rodeo said slightly hyperly, "Jenna asked me to come here. I hear you're a legend in this town, and everybody knows you're the best. Jenna said that maybe you could take me on a tour... and I wanna learn about sled teams!"

For once, this pup didn't seem half bad. "C'mon, rascal. Let's get this tour started." Balto said, leading him across the beach toward Jenna's.

Boris laughed, took his mop, and began mopping the deck of the ship. "They seem almost like father and son." Boris looked at them as they turned the bend off the beach. "Maybe... they are related in blood..."

                                         //----------------------\\

After Rodeo and Balto checked in at Jenna's to make sure her leg was OK from slipping on the ice while rescuing Rodeo, they headed to Nome Central, where a new sled team was forming. Balto always felt excitement build up when he saw the dogs run. Every time he watched, he somehow felt young again in spirit. It also brought memories of that first time he felt the harness against his chest, and when he saved the many children of Nome, and that time when Rosy woke up as if from a trance, and remembered seeing her happy face when he handed her her musher's hat... Though it was the past, Balto could never let it go, just not yet.

Rodeo watched in awe as Kodi stepped into the front, given a choice to lead this magnificent team of only the most powerful runners. Since Balto was retired for good, the musher saw fit to put his son in the front. Kodi proudly stepped into the harness, as he was chosen for the lead. Balto stepped out of the crowd, Rodeo nervously following, and Balto said to Kodi, "Good luck, m'boy. Make me and Jenna proud."

"I will Dad."

Balto went back into the crowd, and Balto said to Rodeo, "See, the dog in the front has the most important job, to give slight commands to the dogs behind him, depending on what the musher commands him. The two behind him, they mostly have to put their weight forward and follow, but if the leader is too sluggish, they might slightly nip him to tell him to go forward. That's actually the orders of every dog behind another one: to keep the pace steady and to keep the dogs working together, they have to urge a sluggish dog forward to match the pace. I may be a famous sled dog, but I could be wrong. Brain's gettin' rusty..."

"Anyway, the backers have the second most important job. They are the ones who have to directly pull their cargo, or just their musher. They are also the most depended on, for if they slow down, the whole team has to slow down. And this here is Kodi's first time in the lead." he finished as the musher finally gave the ok signal. Balto, without knowing it, crouched to the ground as if ready to start. "Ready. Set. AND... they're off!" A few moments after the dogs had left with the mail, the crowd cleared up, and finally Balto and Rodeo were the only ones left.

Balto smiled. "Now let's go and take the tour of the buildings... Oh! It's beginning to get dark. Seems like the sled team with Kodi are gonna have to camp in the wilderness. How 'bout you go to Jenna's house, you know, the house on the hill, and sleep there. I'm not letting my son die out there. What's worse, there's a blizzard. Why did the humans pick such a bad time?"

Rodeo shook his head. "I dunno, Balto. You go find them, and I'll tell Jenna where you are going to be."

Balto nodded. "But she will worry. OK. See you tomorrow, at the boat. Don't come looking for me." With that, the famous half breed who saved Nome raced into the drifts. Rodeo watched after him. "I hope he doesn't get lost like I was..." he said a bit worried. With a sigh, he turned and began trotting toward the hill. But a snarl of a husky male stopped him in his tracks.

"So you're the little stepson of Balto, eh? Then we were destined to battle." Another yearling, a black and white husky, spat the last word out at him. Snarling, but very nervous, Rodeo's hair stood on end. "Who are YOU?" Rodeo said, keeping his voice a very low growl.

"Oh, Pipsqueak got somethin' to say. I'm Metel, the son of Steele, top dog on Kodi's rival sled team. And for your information, half breed, I'm the one who always wins. I'm actually the clever one that got Kodi out of the way. Heh ha ha."

Rodeo rose to the challenge. "Well, hot shot, I'm the one who has the wolf in me. How do you like that?"

Metel snickered. "Oh, I like it just fine. The stronger they are, the harder they fall, they say..."

"Leave him alone, Metel. And if I catch you, your little servants, or Steele around here ever again, YOU and them will pay... Rodeo, are you ok?" The burgondy husky that was Balto's wife came up and scared the dogs away, and she wondered if he had gotten hurt. "I'm ok, Jenna."

"Just call me Mom."

Rodeo was beginning to like this place, even if he was teased.

Chapter 4: Time To Rescue The Hero

Rodeo was up at dawn, saying to Jenna that he'd be back that afternoon. He headed to the beach, and found the Russian goose Boris on the boat, worriedly staring into the Alaskan plain while waiting for Balto. "What if... what if he's hurt? What if the storm has made him an icicle?"

"That wouldn't happen. Balto's the most terrific, brave, and strong wolf I've ever met."

Boris had never completely doubted Balto, but now he had the most reason to. "You mean dog, this time..." he grumbled.

Rodeo jumped up and put his paws on the smooth wood of the boat's fencing to keep people on board. "Boris, lighten up. He'll come. Just wait and see."

"I have yet to see a more convincing sentence than that." Boris said sarcastically.

Finally, when Rodeo had gotten tired of waiting, he said, "I'm moving out to find Balto. It's time to rescue the hero!" Rodeo raced toward the hill with Jenna's house, before Boris could say a word.

"Yep." Boris said to himself. "They're the same, all right."

As Rodeo climbed the hill, he looked down at the way the team had gone. He could not see them, not even the flickering light of their lamp. It looked as if the team had never gone there. Rodeo slipped into the doggy door and walked over to Jenna. "Father's not home yet... and... oh Mom, I just HAVE to save him..." Rodeo had to hurry, and so he turned to leave. Jenna said urgently, "Wait..."

"...I just hope you do your best, and don't stop believing in yourself or wolves. It's the thing that kept Balto going." Rodeo smiled. "Thanks Mom." Jenna nuzzled Rodeo quickly in goodbye, and Rodeo went. "It's almost as if he is truly my son... he is just like Balto..."

Rodeo raced down the path, following the pawprints and sled marks. Rodeo could feel the air fresh in his lungs, uplifting his heart. It brought happiness into his soul, but when he felt the storm settling in, his happiness died away. He knew he must hurry, for in the cold emptiness, his father and the musher could get frozen to death or eaten.

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Balto felt weak and tired, wondering why he had followed Kodi when he knew he could be endangering his own life. But Balto also knew that he was always willing to help others even if it meant sacrificing his very life. Slowly creeping to the sled, he nudged the musher's hand, which was frozen, sticking to the bar. Balto moved slowly over to Kodi's limp body. "Oh, Kodi... I am so sorry... m'boy, you still made us proud, don't worry. You always will even in death..." Balto lifted his nose to the sky, his breath puffing smoke into the air. The wind was picking up, and it was snowing harder. Balto howled the feeblest howl he had every made, hoping someone would hear. He did not know it, but someone very special did.

Balto's sides heaved, and he tried his best to pull Kodi over to the sled. He began to cry. He saw Aleu, howling toward the sky. He saw Kodi, playing with his brothers and sisters. He even saw Boris, trying to fly. And then, there was Rodeo, looking up in fascination as Balto told him how a sledding team worked. Then, he remembered Aniu, the one wolf that gave him the courage and strength to climb back up the cliff when he was saving Nome.

All these people were special to him. Then Jenna appeared, and Balto knew she was the most special of them all. Balto and Jenna had been through almost everything together.

Balto began to quiet his crying as he heard a twig crack. He stood up, his fur raising. He heard a very sad voice that flattened his fur. "Balto... oh my father... what will Jenna think?"

"Rodeo?"

"Balto?"

"Wow! Where were you?"

"I was back in Nome, duh. Trying to find you."

"And for once, I'm happy you came looking for me. Come on, help me wake up as many dogs as we can, then we can put the remaining on the sled. And you, Rodeo, receive the true honors... you are going to be the one who leads us home. Just keep on going straight and we'll be home in no time."

"If you knew how to get home, why didn't you come back yourself?" Rodeo asked. It was rather puzzling.

"If you'd like to know, I was too weak. But now I have the strength again." Balto stood up, shaking the snow off his fur. He went over to the sled and woke the musher with happy barks, and then Balto rushed over to help Rodeo get the harness on. Rodeo smiled. "Now I'll truly belong here in Nome. You know, Father, something about your howl makes me confident again."

"And something about your voice tells me you love sledding."

The musher wrenched his hand free from the icy bar, and then grabbed on again. "Mush, my team! Mush!"

Kodi and Balto ran side by side behind Rodeo who was beginning to understand that his foster father was someone he knew. Now he understood: his real father had been in Aniu's pack. And Aniu was Balto's mother. The two had Balto for their first litter and Rodeo for their second. So... they were actually brothers!

Even as the wind picked up and the snow began to fall heavier, father, son and brother brought the team to Nome. It seemed the blizzard wouldn't be as bad as planned, but it still gave the team trouble. Fueled by the visions of home, the party moved toward Nome. Kodi saw his food dish back home and heard his master praise him. Balto saw the Russian snow goose and Jenna welcoming him home. Though Rodeo had no happy vision of home, he had a sense of pride that he'd never be teased on as much again. He knew he would be praised and wondered at, but it wasn't that he adored the glory so much. It was because he felt good that he helped some one.

Let's see what Metel and Steele think of this. I'm glad I'm not a glory hound like him...

They were almost there.

Boris heard the barking of many dogs, and he looked up. Seeing the team was back with Rodeo in the lead, he leaped up and hovered in the air for as long as he could. "You did it, Rodeo! You're a hero!"

8 year old Rosy was crying in her father's arms, thinking that Balto, Kodi and Rodeo were gone. She sniffled. "Papa? Who will save the town now?" Her father looked up. "Balto and Rodeo will." Rosy whirled, laughing. Throwing her musher's hat into the air, she signaled the finish line.

Jenna had been lazily watching TV on her little hay bale that served as a chair, when she heard the noises of barking and astonished human gasps. Jumping up, setting her paws on the window sill, she saw the team. Barking loudly, she woke Rosy's mother as she raced through the doggy door and out toward Nome Central.

After all three close friends of Balto and his companions were there, a new shape entered the crowd. Sneakily, without being noticed, he led a small dog toward the team. The small dog asked him, "Steele, is this our chance? Our chance for revenge?"

"Oh yes, my son Metel. I want you to get as close to them as possible while keeping diagonally from me. That way, we can fight them more efficiently."

"Got it, Dad."

"And stay away from the eldest, that Balto. He's for me to finish down after I get Kodi and the others. You focus on Rodeo and make sure you get a few hits in on Kodi, if you want to at all. Just the main thing is defense I want you to focus on, and counter-attacks."

"Got it."

Finally Steele jumped out it front of the team, snarling. All the dogs willingly slipped out of their harness, and the musher let them go. He watched from a distance, sure to interfere if something went wrong. "Well, hello Steele. I thought you were exiled, and yah, you don't really belong here."

Steele's teeth clacked in warning, and he began to move forward, ready to strike.

The musher rushed toward him now. "Out, Steele, out! Go, you don't belong here." The musher inspected all his dogs' skin, then he let Rodeo pull the sled the rest of the way by himself. They all knew Steele would return, but for now they were safe. Rodeo gave a victorious howl that Balto, Kodi, and even Jenna joined in. They had done it!

There was news of Rodeo's great feat all across Alaska. Some said Balto was related to Rodeo, others did not. But through all the fame and fourtune, Rodeo didn't change one bit besides growing bigger like he should be. The musher had arranged a race to decide if Rodeo was seriously up to taking the lead. When Kodi and Rodeo lined up at the line, they said to each other, "May the best dog win, with no hard feelings."

On your mark, get set, AND... they're off!

As Rodeo stood in line before the start, he saw Balto crouching down as if preparing to run. Rodeo laughed, and then Rodeo sprang from his position and raced Kodi to the finish line.

In the end, Rodeo won, taking the lead. Kodi gave the harness and all his good tidings to Rodeo's job with this words: "Rodeo, you did a fine job, and you always will. Good, no, great luck to you!"

Chapter 5: Pups Of His Own

Rodeo grew, and so did his passion for his job. By the time of his retirement, he had worked a fabulous three years, and still was in top condition. Though Rodeo missed his job, he took his retirement with open arms and met another sweet half-breed female. Around the same time that Jenna had her second litter, Rodeo found that for once, his sweet wife Domina was gone. Rushing toward him came an older Kodi. "Jenna has had her second litter, and Domina is due too." Kodi scratched his own side. "You better go check it out. She's in the celler of the Church, ya know the way to get in?"

"No, actually..."

"There's a little trap-door kind of thing beside the building, though it's in clear view. It's open, Domina probably opened it."

"Thanks Kodi. You going to see your new siblings?"

"Mhmm." Kodi said lazily as Rodeo rushed off.

Rodeo slowly went through the open cellar door, sniffing around. The air was misty, thick, and it smelled like rust. Rodeo wondered why Domina would choose such a space to birth her pups.

"Rodeo, is that you?" said an exhausted, pained voice.

"Yes it's me. I've been looking all over for you, Domina dear."

Domina was laying on her side on some laundry from a basket she had tipped over. She was breathing quite heavily and unevenly. The pain was beginning to become unbearable. "Here goes..." whimpered Domina as four little puppies were born.

She lined them up side by side beside her.

"They're beautiful." whispered Domina. Rodeo watched his two sons and two daughters. "Beautiful just like you."

Rodeo nuzzled Domina in the small dim light of the celler, both parents watching their kids proudly, already thinking of names.

CONTINUED IN RODEO IN NOME: Cella

Deep in the night
the winds blow cold
and in a heartbeat
the fear takes hold

Deep in the storm
there's a place that's soft and still
where the road waits to be taken
if you only will

The voices inside you
can lead your soul astray
Believe in what you dream
Don't turn away
don't you turn away

Reach for the light
You might touch the sky
Stand on the mountaintop
and see yourself flying
Reach for the light
to capture a star
Come out of the darkness
and find out who you are

Somewhere in time
the truth shines through
and the spirit knows
what it has to do

Somewhere in you
there's a power with no name
It can rise to meet the moment
and burn like a flame

And you can be stronger
than anything you know
Hold on to what you see
Don't let it go
don't you let it go

Now, there's no turning back
when your destiny is calling
Listen to the thunder roll
and let your heart break free

Yes, reach for the light